SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) baseball team won 4-3 in 15 innings over the USC Upstate Spartans on Friday night to even a three-game non-conference weekend series at Harley Park.

It marked the first time UNCG has played 15 innings in a single game since facing Appalachian State on March 1, 2020, in Greensboro, North Carolina, and won 8-7 in the bottom of the 15th inning. However, at five hours and 37 minutes long, it remains the longest game duration-wise in program history.

UNCG got on the board first in the top of the third inning when Jeremy Wolf doubled off the top of the wall in center to score Case Kermode from third and make it 1-0. However, USC Upstate quickly answered in the bottom half of the inning when Gage Griggs legged out an inside-the-park home run hit to left-center to even the score, 1-1.

The fourth frame saw UNCG reclaim the lead when Luke Jenkins laid down a squeeze bunt to score Jacob Dilley from third.

Henry Zenor tied the game, 2-2, in the fifth for USC Upstate with a solo home run that bounced off the top of the wall in right-center.

USC Upstate snagged its first lead of the game, 3-2, in the bottom of the eighth inning when Alex Ritzer hit a two-out single up the middle and into center to score Scott Campbell from second.

Pinch-hitting with Jenkins on first and two outs in the ninth down by one, UNCG's Branton Jernigan roped a triple down the line in right and into the corner to bring Jenkins around and force extra innings, 3-3.

After Jose Perez turned an unassisted double play on a lineout to get UNCG out of a jam in the 14th, Parker Wight was hit by a pitch with one out in the 15th and advanced to second on an errant pick-off attempt. Dilley then lined a double down the line in left to give UNCG the lead, 4-3.

Noah Chapman returned to the mound for his second inning of relief work and walked away with the win, 4-3, after striking out the side in the bottom half of the 15th.

PITCHING RECORDS:
Noah Chapman: W, 4-1
Juan Reyes: L, 1-2

NOTES:

• UNCG's pitchers combined for a season-high 20 strikeouts.
• Sam Murchison's line: 6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB & 8 K.
• Danny Thompson Jr.'s line: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB & 9 K.
• Chapman's line: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB & 3 K.
• Five different players from UNCG had two hits.
• UNCG led the game in stolen bases, 4-1, and extra-base hits, 5-3.
• Both sides drew three walks.

RECORDS:
UNCG: 18-20, 7-2 SoCon
USC Upstate: 20-19, 8-4 Big South

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UP NEXT
UNCG and USC Upstate will face each other one more time on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. to conclude the non-conference weekend series at Harley Park.